Railway switch



J. F. QUALLS RAILWAY SWITCH Sept. 23 1924.

Filed Dec. 18. 1923 Patented Sept. "*3, i924.

1,509,777 P ENT omit-ct,

N even r eIee rea sess A l at n fi d m mber i 23- To all whom it may oonoeam:

Be it known that I, Join; F. QUAn s, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVhite Star, in the county of Harlan and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in railway switches, and has particular reference to an improved means for facilitating throwing of switch points and holding the same in either of their set positions.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a switch point throwing and holding mechanism which is extremely simple and durable in construction and efiicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment for the connecting rod of switch points, which the throwing of the switch points is facilitated and whereby the switch points are effectively held in either of their thrown positions against accidental displacement.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings and claimed.

the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding" parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway switch equipped with a point throwing and holding device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1, and drawn on a lar er scale.

Figure 3 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation, showing the ear carried trip for initially moving the switch point.

Figure i is a fragmentary side elevational view of the lower portion of the trip shown in Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the switch points.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, 5 and 6 indicate the rails of the main track leading toward the switch, the rail 5 of which is directed laterally as indicated at 7 for connection. with of the rails of Se a NQ- 681,

the sidings, The rail 5 associated at its point of bend with the free end of a switch point 8, that is ofspecial construction and hinged in the usual manner at the point indicated at 9 to a further rail 10 that forms a continuation of the main track past the switch, while the rail 6 of the main track continues through as such. The rail 11ccoperates with the laterally directed end .7

9 tl1ereil t te m h tra k of t e sid ng and this rail 11 is pivoted to one end of an th wi h poin Set a a 9B which switch point 8 is Similar in construction to he Pa n n a i fr e and diepese inwardly of the rail 6 at a point in trans r r e a g en wi h th e e o t e Swi Po he swi h poin 8 nd are connected in the usual manner by the means of a connecting rod l2 whose ends are pivctally connected as at 13 to said switch peint.

As the switch points 8 and 8? are of similar construction, a description of one of the same will su fiice. Each switch point consists of a rail section that is cut away at n d 0.1 an obliqu i n icat at 14, after the free end portion, thereof is directed inwardly as at 1 5, at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the switch point. At the point of bend between the body portio of t p i t and th at r lly ex en ed end 15 thereof, the trea is provided with a groove 16 which providesclearance for the flange of the car wheel as is obvious to o e S lled i the rt By re son of t e inturned ends 15, a tapered entrance is provided between the same, and the adjacent portions of the rails 5 and 6 into, which a car. carrie dtrip may pass for wedging the switch points laterally as to swing them to either of their set positions. Such atrip is shown in Figures 3 and 4, and may consist of a rod 17 vertically arranged and slidably disposed to a plate 18 secured to the car floor 19 as well as surrounded by a depending cylinder 20 detachably carried by the plate 18. In the construction shown, the cylinder 20 encloses a compression spring 21, the lower end of which engages the lower end of the casing 20 and the upper end of which engages an abutment 22 fixed upon the upper portion of the rod 17 within said cylinder. A wedge shaped roller or disc 23 is journalled in the bifurcated lower end of the rod 17 which also slidably projects through the bQttom of the casing 20, and the upper end of said rod 17 is provided with a foot piece 2 1. By providing a trip of this kind at both sides of the car, the desired one of the same may be depressed by operation of the foot piece 2st against the action of the spring 21, so as to lower the roller 23 in the path of the de sired one of the inturned ends 15 of the switch point, so as to cause the latter to be shifted in the desired direction. The rod 17 and cylinder 20 may be braced against lateral strains by any suitable means, such as by brackets 25.

Disposed between the switch points adjacent their free ends and preferably imbedded in the ground is a casing 26 provided with a'removable cover plate 27 and having aligned openings in the sides there of thru which the ends of the connecting rod 12 slidably project. Arranged within the casing 26 and secured to the latter is a spring 28 that is preferably formed of resilient sheet metal and which acts to expand in a direction parallel with the main rail tracks or transversely to the longitudinal axis of the rods 12. The free end of the spring 20 is adjacent to the rod 12 and is connected to the latter by means of a link 29 that assumes an oblique position at one side of the pivotal connection between said link and the spring 28, when the points are swung in one direction and that assume I v an opposite oblique position at the other side of said pivot, when the switch points are thrown in the opposite direction. In other words, the end of the link 29 that is connected to the rod 12 swings to opposite sides of the center of the pivotal connection between the link 29 and the spring 28, and as the latter exerts its force at right angles to the direction of movement of the rod 12, it is evident that said spring will efl'ect-ively act to quickly snap the rail points to their final point of movement after being moved initially for a partial distance under the influence of the trip. It is also evident that this construction will serve to effectively hold the switehpoints in either swung position thereof against accidental displacement.

I have thus provided a thoroughly reliable switch point throwing means and holding means which is simple and durable in construction, and which may be cheaply and easily manufactured, as well as placed into use.

From the above description, it is believed that the construction and operation as well as the advantages of the present invention will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

hat. I claim as new is:

1. In a railway switch, a switch point comprising a rail section adapted for pivotal connection at one end with another rail section, and having its other end free and cut away on an oblique line at its outer side, adjacent said free end, the extreme free end portion of the switch point being directed laterally inwardly and said switch oint having a groove in the tread portion time of at the point of bend between the main portion of the same and the laterally directed free end thereof that extends parallel with the axis of the main portion thereof.

2. In a railway switch, a pair of similar switch points pivoted at one end for swinging movement, and having their adjacent other ends free and directed inwardly to ward each other, the switch points being cut away on an oblique line adjacent their free ends and at their outer sides and having grooves in the treads thereof at the inner ends of the laterally directed portion of the same.

In combination with a pair of laterally swinging switch points connected by a transverse bar, a spring expanding in a direction substantially parallel with the switch point and at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the bar, and a link pivotally connecting the springs with said bar, said links being pivotally attached to the bar at a point whereby the ends thereof adjacent said bar may swing past and to opposite sides of the pivot connection l'ietween the link and the springs when the switch points are swung.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN F. oUALLs. 

